Over 4.5 million foreigners visit Vietnam in Q1

Over 4.5 million foreigners are estimated to visit Vietnam in the first three months of this year, a rise of 7 percent year on year, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said on March 29.

Foreign visitors to Hanoi - Photo: VNA

The foreign visitors coming by air and by road rose 4.5 percent and 26.2 percent year on year, while those entering by sea declined by 37.4 percent.

The visitors hailing from Asian markets recorded an increase of 7.5 percent year on year, said the VNAT under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Up to 1.2 million Chinese people spent holidays in Vietnam in the reviewed time, accounting to 37.8 percent of the total Asian visitors. The figure, however, showed a drop of 5.6 percent from the same time last year.

Thai tourists recorded the highest rise with 49.3 percent, followed by those from Taiwan (China), 26 percent; the Republic of Korea, 24.1 percent; Malaysia 11.1 percent; and Japan, 8.3 percent.

Visitors from Europe and the Americas posted rises of 6.1 percent and 6.3 percent from the same time last year.

During the reviewed period, 24.9 million local tourists were served.

Revenue from tourism activities totaled 175 trillion VND, rising by 8.35 percent from the January-March period in 2018.